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Veterans, volunteers salvage fish in Ninemile Creek

Missoulian - 7/16/2021

On a smoke-filled morning Thursday, a group of people meandered through Ninemile Creek electroshocking, netting and transporting trout.

About 20 volunteers and veterans from Warriors and Quiet Waters, Trout Unlimited and the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks were working on a restoration project to protect the fish by moving them downriver before the creek bed is reconstructed.

Warriors and Quiet Waters is an organization dedicated to promoting healing and resilience through therapeutic outdoor activities for post-9/11 combat veterans.

After spending a few days fishing on another part of the creek, the veterans are able to give back to the river by helping with restoration efforts, said Jesse LeNeve, fishing operations manager for Warriors and Quiet Waters.

He’s done 12 seasons of restoration work.

“It’s about giving veterans an opportunity for healing through fishing,” he added. “Veterans always give back to what they use. The amount of passion from people willing to work together is one of my favorite parts of this project.”

The creek, located about an hour northwest of Missoula, was home to placer mining in the 19th and 20th centuries. Miners would dig about 30 feet deep to drag out coal, creating strains on the creek flow and a buildup of materials removed to access the minerals, said Paul Parson, Trout Unlimited Clark Fork restoration coordinator.

“The ecosystem can’t be restored on its own because the damage sustained from the mining was so significant,” Parson said. “It needs to be reset.”

Working their way up the creek, the team spent about two hours netting fish. Two licensed Fish, Wildlife & Parks members operated the electrofishing backpacks while about half a dozen volunteers worked around them with nets, nabbing fish sent scattering from the electric currents.

Once caught, trout were transported in bucket loads by the dozen every few minutes to another team responsible for measuring and collecting species counts.

In Thursday’s catch, trout ranged from about 2 to 12 inches. Species varied from cutthroat, rainbow and brown trout, although cutthroats are the only native species to the area, said Tess Scanlon, Trout Unlimited Rock Creek project manager.

Shocking fish sends a current through the water to make it easier for fish to be netted — it’s a common technique used to monitor fish populations, Scanlon explained.

Relocating fish is one step in the process of restoration efforts. After fish are safely removed from the creek, it will be de-watered for reconstruction to give a more natural layout to support the ecosystem, Parson said. The project also aims to reduce sediment in the area and boost fish passage.

Tom Collins is a veteran who flew from Maine to Montana to be part of the event. This is his fourth time visiting the state, but his first taking part in a project like this.

“The scale of this project is amazing,” Collins said. “Warriors for Quiet Waters is making a real impact on people’s lives.”

He’s caught so many trout over the past few days fly-fishing he wasn’t able to recall the number. As a guess, he estimated upwards of 30, which he promptly released.

When they’re not on the river, participants stay a few miles up the road at a campsite. LeNeve said the site was provided by Betty Thisted, an advocate for restoration and conservation who owns a homestead property in the Ninemile Creek area.

“We’re so grateful to her for giving us an opportunity to use her space,” LeNeve said.

Restoration efforts on the creek started in June and are scheduled to finish sometime around Thanksgiving, Parson said. The entirety of the restoration project stretches about seven miles, with three of those miles being completed so far. The swath of creek being worked on Thursday will tackle another mile’s progress.

“The restoration and conversation work we’re doing here today will preserve this area for generations to come,” LeNeve said.